Percolator coffee maker



Jan- 22, 1952 A. E. RUDAHL. 2,583,279

PERCOLATOR COFFEE MAKER Filed M124, 195o vi-gj g mem/kyo ARNOLD ERUDAHLPatented Jan. 22, 1952 PERCOLATOR COFFEE MAKER- Arnold E. Rudahl,Middlefield, Conn., assignor to Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 24, 1950,Serial No. 145,981

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in coffee makers of thepercolator type and more particularly to the basket thereof and meansfor circulating fluid therethrough.

Conventional coffee makers of the percolator type usually include afountain tube which is supported from the bottom of the coffee maker anda basket which is supported adjacent the upper end of the fountain tube.the basket having an opening in its bottom through which the tubeextends. A pump means is provided adjacent the bottom of the fountaintube for purposes of causing fluid to rise within said tube and bedischarged from the upper end thereof into the basket, the fluidcontacting the top portion of the supply of ground coffee containedwithin the basket. The fluid filters downward through the ground coffeeto form a brew which is discharged through perforations in the bottomand sides of the basket. The fluid gradually becomes a brew of coffeewhich is re-circulated through the fountain tube and ground coffeewithin the basket until the brew attains the desired concentration andflavor.

When fluid is discharged from the upper end of the fountain tube intothe basket, the fluid engages the supply of ground coffee Within thebasket from the top and filters downward through the coffee asaforesaid. This results in a distinct tendency to pack the ground coffeewithin the basket so as to retard filtering and thereby decrease therate at which coffee is brewed. Compacting the ground coffee in thismanner also prevents or retardsthe ready intermingling of thefluid withall particles of the ground coffee as the fluid filters. downward intothe coffee. Thus, it has not been possible to brew coffee at arelatively rapid rate when using conventional percolator structures, norhas the most efcient use of all particles of the ground coiee beenpossible.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple andinexpensive percolator structure capable of easily being separated andcleansed and operable to maintain ground coffee within the basket of thepercolator in at least a partial state of flotation while the fluid isin contact with the ground coffee for purposes of making a brewtherefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a percolator structure bywhich the rate at which fluid filters through the ground coffee .withinthe percolator basket is much more rapid than in conventionalpercolators and the contact Q1 the fluid with all particles of theground cofibi fee is readily effected for purposes of more elficientlyusing the ground coffee to form a brew therefrom.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as otherobjects thereof, are set forth in the specification and illustrated inthe 'accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:v

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an exemplary coffee maker of thepercolator type, part of the coffee maker being broken away andotherwise shown in section to illustrate'details of certain componentsof the invention.

Fig, 2 is a vertical sectional elevationof the upper portion of thepercolator construction illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a top planview of Fig. 2, part of the structure shown in Fig.3 being broken away to illustrate further details of the componentsillustrated therein. Y

Referring to the drawing in which-like numerals are used to indicatelike parts, the percolator coffee maker I0 may be of any suitable typesuch as that having a self-contained electric heating unit in the basei2 thereof or the percolator may be of the type which is placed upon aheating unit of a stove for purposes of heating the fluid within thecoffee maker. The brew or fluid receptacle I4 is positioned above thebase l2 and the bottom of the receptacle id supports the lower end of afountain tube I6. The lower portion of the fountain tube is connected toa suitable pump, not shown, of any desirable type such as presently usedin many types of percolato'r type coffee makers, and by which water orbrew within the receptacle i4 is circulated upward through the fountain.tube It and discharged from the upper end I8 thereof. The top of thereceptacle i4 has an opening which is normally closed by a conventionalcover i9.

In accordance with the present invention, ground coffee is supportedwithin container and brewing means surrounding the upper portion offountain tube i6 as follows. A cup-like member 20 is preferablyapertured centrally of its bottom 22 to receive the fountain tube It, asclearly shown in Fig. 2. Fixed to the tube I6 is a washer 24 whichengages the bottom 22 of member 2i) for purposes of supporting saidmember relative to tube I6. The member 2i] is provided in its sides witha plurality of perforations 2li of a size and spacing suitable to permitrelatively rapid discharge of fluid therethrough, in a manner to bedescribed. The lowermost apertures 2liin the sides of the member-2livare spaced above the bottom 22 thereof at an appreciable distance, asshown in Fig. 2, also for purposes to be described. The bottom 22 of themember 20 is also provided with a limited number of perforations 28,materially fewer in number and substantially smaller in size than theperforations 28. The function of said perforations will also behereinafter described.

A cup-shaped basket `3l) having a smaller diameter and also of lessheight than member is nested within member 20, as illustrated in Fig. 2,the sides and bottom of the basket 3E! being spaced from the sides andbottom of member 28. Integral with the upper edge ofthe basket 30 is alaterally extending annular'vflange 32 having'a suitable shoulder, asillustrated in Fig. 2, engaging the rim of the memberfor purposes ofpositioning and supporting basket 38 relative to member 20. The sidesand bottom of the basket are provided with a .plurality of perforations34, the size and spacing of said perforations preferably being vsimilar`to perforations 25 in the sides of member 20.

'The bottom 38.01 basket 30 is centrally apertured and a sleeve 38extends Lupward from the perimeter lof said aperture; as clearly shownin Fig. 2. At least the .lower portion of sleeve 38 is also providedwith a plurality of perforations 48 and-said sleeve -.has a diametermaterially greater than that of the fountain tube I5, with which it isconcentric, to provide an annular vspace 421between said Ysleeve andfountain tube.

A funnel member 44, supportedbythe upper end of sleeve 38, extendsupward and outward therefrom, as shownln Fig. 2. The 4upper end i 8 offountain tube I y6v "lso preferably extends somewhat above the end ofsleeve38.

In operation, .assuming'that a new brew of coffee lis to be made, wateris placed within the receptacle I4 and a supply of ground coffee is A inthe basket -301 Heating of the water is commenced and some of the 'wateris forced by the pump at thelower end of fountain tube I6 upward throughsaid `'fountain tube and is discharged from the upper end I8 thereofinto the funnel 44, asrindi'atedby some of the arrows in Fig. 2. Thewateris directed by the funnel 44 into the sleeve ,38 through which ittravels downward and some passes into the space 4B between the bottomsof the member 20 and the basket 30. Some of the water will also passlaterally from sleeve 38, through the perforations therein, intotheinterior of the basket 38 which contains the-ground coffee. Theportion of the'water which enters thefspace 46 -will also flow upwardthroy gh perforations 34 therein into the interior of basket 3l).`

Such lateral and upward flow of water through perforations 40 in sleeve38 and perforations 34 in the bottom 36 of basket will quickly saturatethe `ground coffee particles and also effect at least apartialfiotation'of said particles within the basket 3l).l Thus, thecontact of the water with the coffee particles in this manner willprevent any noticeable compacting`l of the coffee particles within thebasket, in marked contrast to the compacting of the particles byconventional percolators wherein water is discharged into the top of thebacket and directly against the top of the supply of ground coffeewithin the basket. The limited number/of very small or fine perforations28; in` the 'bottom 22' of lmember 20 will permitsome of the water.V toexiti therethrough but the'smaller numbcr'and size of said perforations,as compared to the number` and size of 4 the perforations in the bottom0f basket 38, will cause most of the water to pass into the interior ofthe basket 30 through the aforementioned perforations 40 in sleeve 38and perforations 34 in the bottom of the basket 30, as described above.

As the water engages the ground coffee within the basket as aforesaid, abrew will be formed. Some of the resulting brew will begin to dischargethrough the perforations 34 in the sides of the basket 3U. Some of saidbrew will also be discharged through the perforations 34 in the bottomof the basket as well as those in the sides thereof and the dischargedbrew, when accumulatedA Within'the member 20 in suicient amount to riseto the level of the lower-most perforations 26 in member ZIJ, will beginto discharge through said perforations 26 into the brew receptacle I4 ofthe coffee maker. Such brew will bere-circulated through fountain tubeI5 and continuously be re-cycled through the ground coffee within thebasket 30 in the manner described above. The provision of said limitednumber of fine perforations 28 in the bottom of member 28 ensurescomplete drainage of all brew from the basket 3D and member 2E! such as,for example, after flow through the fountain tube I6 ceases when heatingof the brew is stopped near the completion of a brewing operation.

The aforementioned flotation of the ground coffee within thev basket 3Gwhile water or brew is passing therethrough will not only provide readyandv relatively rapid passage or filtering of the water or brew throughthe ground coffee so as to increase the speed of brewing operations rbutsuch flotation will also ensure that all or substantially all of theparticles of ground coffee will be engaged by the water or brew dur'-ing the brewing operationsy thus producing a much more rapid andeflicient brewing than is possible with conventional percolators. Theground coffee particles will also be rendered somewhat turbulentwithinthe basket during brew ing operations, but the perforated basket 353 andmember 20 cooperate to provide a double filtering or straining functionand thereby will ensure against very much, if any, of the rcoffeeparticles being discharged into the brew contained in the receptacleI4L' The components of the percolator structure comprising the presentinvention are not only simple and easily manufactured but they are alsocapable of`being simply and quickly separated to effect removal of theused coffee particles from the basket and also permit thorough cleansingof the basket 38 and member 28, as well as the rfountain tube I6 and theother components the entire percolator which require cleansing after abrewing operation.

While the inventionhas been illustrated and described in its preferredembodiment and has included certain details, it should be understoodthat the invention is not to be limited to the precise details hereinillustrated and described since the same may be carried eut in otherways, falling within the scopez of the invention as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a coffee maker of the percolatorV type having a fountain tuberising from the bottom thereof, the combination therewith of a cupshapedmembersurrou'nding the upper portion Voflsaid fountain tube, andacupi-shaped basket nested within said member and spaced therefrom at itsbottom .and sides, the bottom and sides of said basket and the sides ofsaid member being perforated, said basket further having a perforatedsleeve extending upward from the bottom thereof in spaced surroundingrelation to said fountain tube and being open at its ends, and means fordeflecting uid raised by the fountain tube into said sleeve exterior ofthe tube.

2. In a coffee maker of the percolator type having a fountain tubesupported from the bottom thereof, the combination therewith of acut-shaped member surrounding and supported at its bottom by the upperportion of said fountain tube, the sides of said member being perforatedin an area spaced above the bottom and the bottom having a relativelyfewer perforations of smaller size than in said sides, a cupshapedbasket nested within said member and spaced therefrom at its bottom andsides, the bottom and sides of said basket being perforated,

and a perforated sleeve extending upward from l.

the bottom of said basket and being open at its ends, said sleevesurrounding said fountain tube and being spaced therefrom.

3. In a coffee maker of the percolator type having a fountain tubesupported from the bottom thereof, the combination therewith of acupshaped member surrounding and supported at its bottom by the upperportion of said fountain tube, a cup-shaped basket nested within saidmember and spaced therefrom at its bottom and sides, the bottom andsides oi said basket and the sides of said member being perforated, aperforated sleeve extending upward from an aperture in the bottom ofsaid basket and being open upper edge thereof, said ange engaging theupper edge of said member to support said basket in nested relationwithin said member and spaced therefrom at its bottom and sides, thebottom and sides of said basket and the sides of said member beingperforated, and a perforated sleeve extending upward from an aperture nthe bottom of said basket and being open at its ends, said sleevesurrounding said fountain tube and being spaced therefrom.

ARNOLD E. RUDAHL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 201,139 Weller Mar. 12, 1878628,705 Goldsmith July 11, 1899 745,883 Montgomery Dec. 1, 19031,943,386 Johnson Jan. 16, 1934

